The ability to catabolize tartrate and utilize tartrate as a carbon source is very rare in microorganisms. It would be desirable to identify and isolate a gene which is able to confer the ability to utilize tartrate on a suitable host. For example, yeast used to ferment juice to alcohol are unable to utilize tartrate which is a byproduct of fermentation. Introduction of a functional tartrate gene into yeast would allow the organism to utilize this additional energy source, leading to the production of additional alcohol from a given amount of juice. The trait would also be useful when it is desired to produce wine free of tartrate.